Journaling: why it’s a team and leadership must have

Back in April I started a journal experiment that led to me writing and publishing Journal Safari: Create your journal habit in 30 days

Rewind to those early days of lockdown in the UK

As people were urged to stay home, I asked myself how I could contribute to the community I had built up. What could I offer in this time of great stress and change that could help many people – of any age and at any stage of life?

That’s when I thought of journaling. My own experience, and the research, told me that this was one simple thing that could help all of us navigate this new world. Which is how I came to commit to holding a live journal session every evening in April at 8pm on my business Facebook page. 

I framed it as an experiment, because after all I’d never seen it done before.

Facilitating a journal writing class on social media was going to be like knitting on the radio

You wouldn’t get it unless you were doing the knitting. Journal writing isn’t designed as a spectator sport, and in addition I would have the challenge of interacting with people who I could not see, but who could see me. 

How would I know how to pace the exercises? 

How could I ask people to give me feedback – typing – while also journal writing? 

Would anyone even turn up?

Why had I decided this was a good idea?

I had no idea what would happen and who might care enough to experiment with me

Yet every night, a small group joined me. And the response from them was powerful and immediate. I began to get private notes and public comments about how much this was helping them to get through the stress, the juggling, the overwhelm and the over-work or lay-offs that lockdown was bringing.

I called the experience a Journal Safari – safari meaning a journey in Kiswahili – a nod to my African roots and a link to my Campfire Conversations which have journal writing at their core.

The Journal Safari helped me as much as it helped my emerging journal tribe

The routine of just showing up every night at 8pm, no matter what, solidified the habit for me. It grounded me and provided me with that all-important time to reflect. It was a strangely moving and connecting experience. Much deeper and more powerful than knitting on the radio.

That’s when the hardcover version of Journal Safari was born; it just seemed natural to continue offering my tribe a simple, effective way of letting go of stress and clearing the day’s mental clutter.

Journaling has a host of proven benefits

A regular journal habit:

Reduces stress, procrastination and over-thinking

Improves immune function

Maintains mental sharpness

Strengthens emotional well-being and self-esteem

Helps work through difficult emotions

Encourages self-compassion and empathy

Since the publication of Journal Safari I have realised that the journal exercises came from all my years of executive coaching; many of the questions and inquiries are those I have asked in the coaching room. 

Teams are using Journal Safari together

One of them describes the time they spend journaling together on Fridays as the “best hour of our week.”

And my leadership coaching clients are finding that having the structure of the journal strengthens the insights gained in the coaching room as well as maintains a habit of reflection between sessions.

I’m not in the journal writing or journal selling business, I’m in the habit change business 

My expertise is creating spaces for individuals and teams to step back and reflect, to clear the fog of busyness and reactivity and discover what is really important. A reflective practice – whether that is mindfulness, meditation, coaching, therapy or journaling – is essential for anyone who wishes to be their best self at work (and home).

Now I’m knitting on LinkedIn

On Thursday 19th November I begin another series of free journal classes here on LinkedIn. Three classes a week for three weeks. Just like Facebook, I have no idea who will turn up or what the response will be like (although this time round I’m pretty confident that the insights will be powerful)

So will you join me?

LinkedIn haven’t quite got their act together when it comes to live events, so you have to confirm you are attending every individual session to stand a chance of being notified when I go live. The link I’m posting here is NOT the event link, just the invite to the first session.

To help you on the journey, I’ve created a workbook that you can download and print off, to write in. The exercises will complement the ones in the published book but are different and each session stands on its own – although the more you attend, the stronger your journaling muscle will become.

Do let me know in the comments if you’re game for giving this a go and discovering a new tribe. It’s better than knitting. I promise.

Moyra Mackie is an accredited leadership and team coach with an MSc in Executive Coaching from Ashridge Business School. She specialises in helping individuals and teams to make better, wiser decisions by having the high-quality brave conversations that lead to trust, commitment and accountability.